Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-25
From the New York World.

His Eiixir.
From the New York World.
AsHEvILLE, Y. c., Jan. 19.-Last
week | went out into the mountains for
the purpose of securing holly tree with
tlced in ali my pictures of Christmas fes-
Invites in England that the holly, with
cranberries on it, constitutes the backs
ground of Yuletide A Yuletide in En-
gland without holly bough and little
mistletoe on it wouldn't be worth half
price. Here these vegetables grow in
great profusion. owing to the equable
climate, and so the holly tree is within
the reach of all.
resolved TO secure one personally; so
| sped away into the mountains, where.
in less than the time it takes to tell it. |
had succeeded in finding holly tree and
losing myself. 1t is very solemn sensa-
ton to feel that you are lost and that be.
fore you can be found, something is liza
BILE TO happen to the universe.
wandered aimlessly about for half an
hour, hoping that would be missed ii
society and some one sent in search of
me- was Just about to give up in de-
spair and Sink down Cd a bed OF moss
with the idea of shutting off six or seven
feet of mortal coil, when, few rods
away, | saw a blue smoke issuing from
the side OF the mountain and rising to-
ward the sky. | went rapidly to wards it
and found it to be a plain dugout with a
dirt floor. entered and cast myself
upon rude nail key. allowing my feet to
remain suspended st the lower end of my
legs, az attitude which | frequently at
feet when fatgued.
The place was not occupied at the
time | entered. though there was fire
and things looked as though the owner
had not long been absent 1t seemed to
be kind of laboratory, for | could see
here and there the esrmarks of the chem>
ist. feared at first that it was bomb
factory, but as l could not see any of
these implements in q perfected state |
decided that it was safe and waited for
the owner to arrive.
After some time heard low, guttu
raj footstep approaching up the hill. l
went to the door and exclaimed 10 the
proprietor as ne came, Merry Christ
mas, colonel
Merry Christmas % id said he
in the same bantering tone. What IN
three dashes, two hyphens and an aston
isher do you want here, you double
dashed and dOuble>blanketed blank to
dash and returnM'
The wording here is my own, but it
gives an idea of the way the conversation
was drifting. You can see by his man
ner that literary people are not alone in
being surly, irritable and unreasonable
So | humored him and spoke kindly to
him and smoothed down his ruffl4d plu
mage with my gay 5adinage. for he wore
a shawl and you can never tell whether II
man wearing shawl Is armed or not
He was man about medium height
with clear cut features and retreating
b:isket His hair was dark and hung IN
great waves which seemed TO have caught
the sunlight and retained it together with
a great many other atmospheric phen>
omena He wore straw hat, such AS |
once saw Horace Greeley catch grasshop
pers in, on the banks of the kinnickiunic,
lust before he caught a small trout
spent some time with him watching
him as he made his various experiments
Finally he shoEed me new beverage
that he had been engaged in perfeCting
1t was inclosed 10 dark brown receptacle
aud was held in place BY common corn
cob stopper | took some of it in order
10 show that confided in him do not
remember anything else distinctly. The
tunes of thi. drink went at once to my
brain, where it had what might be termed
a complete walkover
| now have no hesitation in saving that
the fluid must have been alcoholic in its
nature, for when regained nv 1nscious-
ness was extremely elsewhere found
myself on road which seemed u lead n
two opposite directions and my mind was
very much confused
hardly know how got home. but l
finally did get there. accompanied by 4
strong leaning toward prohibition
BILL NYE